Last June 17-18 we tested and photographed Outcast
inflatable boats as we rowed them, paddled them and propelled them with fins
on both still and moving water. The first day I stayed on the bank and took
pictures while other people assembled float tubes or played in the water with
them. I'm not sure I got the better deal. It sure looked like my
friends were having fun. Inflatable boats were rare during the time of
my youth, but have become very popular since the mid 1970's. However,
my internet research concludes that inflatable boats have been around for a
long time. According to the Guiness Book of Motorboating, the history
of the inflatable boats goes back as far as 880 BC, when the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II ordered troops to cross a river using greased animal skins,
which they inflated continuously to keep the vessels afloat. In ancient
China, during the Sung and Ming dynasties, inflated, airtight skins were
used for crossing rivers. It was 1839, however, that the first
inflatable boat pontoons were tested by the Duke of Wellington. In 1840, the
Englishman Thomas Hancock designed inflatable craft and described this work
in "The Origin and Progress of India Rubber Manufacture in England"
published a few years later. In 1844, a Lieutenant Halkett designed a
round-shaped inflatable bloat which was used in several Arctic expeditions.
The Frenchman Clement Ader devised a floating vessel too. Indeed, many other
pioneers invented craft that foreshadowed "inflatables". In 1913, the German
Albert Meyer came up with a fairly novel design. By 1920, his company, A.
Meyer Bau Pneum. Boote, was marketing his "pneumatic" boats, of which nine
were already in use by the German Army. During World War II the U.S.
Navy used a host of inflatable boats as life rafts and landing crafts.
After the war, these military surplus boats sparked the current interest in inflatable
boats and new companies sprang up to replace aging military surplus watercrafts as they wore
out. One such company was Aire of Boise, Idaho, who along with their
subsidiary Outcast has become one of the most successful recreational
inflatable boat makers in the world. They are fun to use.

The Fish Cat Series of
float tubes offers several outstanding advantages. With the Fish Cat 4 the
seat cushion and back are filled with sealed cell foam. The seat cushion
supports you above the water rather than sitting in it as with other
conventional float tubes. This makes spotting and casting to fish
easier. It is also a much more comfortable position especially if the
water is cold. These float tubes are fast and very maneuverable.
5-year warranty.

Well, it's my lot in life to work hard taking pictures of
John Jones as he plays in the water with fancy fly rods and fun
water-craft. John has spent a lot of time fishing lakes with
inflatable boats. As a matter of fact he used to guide fly fishing
trips on local lakes. He's the perfect guy for the tests.

John has no problem propelling the Fish Cat 4 upstream against a brisk
current in Harriet Lake.

Add an air seat and back
rest to the standard Fish Cat 4 and have the same above the water
advantages with unbelievable comfort and the added advantage of being able
to store your tube in a smaller space when it is deflated.
5-year warranty.

Got this photo & email from
Brian O'Keefe:
Hi Guys,
I went back to St. Paul to do some Scientific Anglers stuff,
and then went to the Boundary Waters for some world class wilderness canoe
camping and smallmouth fishing. The first night I was put in a cabin on a
lake, the day before our 6 day - 24 portage canoe adventure. On the screen
door was a “flock” of giant hexagenia mayflies. There were evenings on some
lakes where hex hatched and drifted on the breeze. The smallies were gulping
them. I skated a small yellow popper and it was
trashed. Brian

I like fishing for about anything that has fins that will
take a fly. Some days it is great to forget about the hierarchy of sportfish
and just go fishing for whatever will bite. Sometimes you come up with some
unusual critters. When we started fly fishing the Mexican coast, it seemed
that American anglers only fished for dorado, billfish and occasionally
roosterfish...and yup they are all pretty special. But, some days the winds
or the tides just aren't right for any of the big three. That led us
to start experimenting in sheltered areas along the shores. Most of
the Pacific shore of Mexico is steep and rocky. Much of
it can't be fished from the beach. But, it is easy to fish from a boat
and the approach is much like bass fishing, where you cast toward the beach.
You never know what is going to grab your fly as you fish the shoreline of
the Sea of Cortez. Some of the more unusual looking creatures we have
encountered are Triggerfish. Triggerfish are like Bluegills on
steroids. They pull very hard for their size. The fight is
usually them running straight for the bottom. A large Triggerfish can
really put a bend in your rod. Triggerfish have a roundish, laterally flat body with an
anterior dorsal fin. The first ray in their dorsal fish is huge and shaped
like a trigger. They can erect this dorsal spike and lock it with the second
ray behind it. This prevents predators from
swallowing them or pulling them out of a hole in the rocks. This locking and
unlocking behavior is why they are named 'triggerfish'. Triggerfish are also known for possessing strong jaws and
well-developed incisor teeth that are sufficient to crush the shells of
mollusks, crustaceans and even sea urchins. All of the Triggerfish we
have caught, have been with baitfish imitating streamers while fishing for
other species. Usually a Triggerfish takes the fly as it is falling
between strips. Triggerfish may be observed blowing jets of water into
sand to uncover their prey. This behavior is also utilized to roll
over sea urchins so that they can attack from below, where there are fewer
spines to contend with. The Triggerfish we have caught while
fishing the Sea of Cortez have been where piles of rocks or ledges protrude
from sandy bottoms. Triggerfish are highly prized by the natives
around the Sea of Cortez for their firm white flesh for making ceviche a
dish made with raw fish cured with lime juice and chilies. Currently IGFA
lists the all tackle record weight for Triggerfish in the Sea of Cortez at
14-pounds 9-ounces. They do not list a record for Triggerfish caught
with fly fishing equipment. The largest we have caught are under
5-pounds.

Got a report from Mike Owens who spent the last two weeks
fishing the Missouri River at Craig, MT. Said he was a little early
and the fishing was just getting into high gear about the time he left. High
temperatures are reaching into the mid 90's and will be for the next next
week. There is some chance of rain showers to cool things a bit.
Despite the warm weather, the Missouri River remains at a fairly cool 64°.
Lots of hatches .....caddis, tricos, pseudos, and a few PMD's. Floating
weeds make nymph fishing difficult. The ranchers are cutting their fields.
Hoppers will move toward the river. Look for the big fish to start moving
toward the banks to feed on big bites. The smart anglers looking for
really big fish will become hopper ploppers.

Hola Anglers,
The summer steelhead run in southwest Washington has finally picked up
some steam. Whereas June was extremely slow, July has been considerably
better for what ever reason. Last week Mike and I combined for eight
steelhead and numerous lost opportunities in four days of guiding. The
bulk of the action was on the Cowlitz but the N. F. Lewis also fished well
with less time spent on it.
We need warm bodies!!!
We are going to extend our half day price of $275.00 for "pert' neer" a
full day, to anyone who comes between now and the first of August. We'll
start at first light and end at noon. We'll have drinks and munchies but,
you'll be on your own for lunch. Here's a link to some recent photos:
http://speywater.com/Photos/SW_Washington/2007/Index.html